Accessibility Garment Apparatus

ABSTRACT

An accessibility garment apparatus for allowing self-sufficiency for handicapped and disabled people includes a garment body having a waistband, a front side, a back side, an inner surface, an outer surface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pair of legs. The inseam has an access aperture extending from a right leg to a left leg of the pair of legs. An absorptive pad is coupled to the garment body. The absorptive pad is coupled to the inner surface on the back side. A zipper is coupled to the garment body. The zipper has a chain coupled along the access aperture and a slider engaged with the chain to selectively close or open the access aperture. A hook is coupled to the slider of the zipper.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to accessibility devices and more particularlypertains to a new accessibility device for allowing self-sufficiency forhandicapped and disabled people.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to accessibility devices. Known garments have avariety of different opening methods and locations. These devices areoften incorporate traditional zippers and are still difficult forindependent use. Such garments lack a hook or ring attached to thezipper or other fastener for easier use by wearers with limiteddexterity. Such devices also lack integrated absorptive padding.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a garment body having a waistband, a front side, aback side, an inner surface, an outer surface, a crotch portion, aninseam, and a pair of legs. The inseam has an access aperture extendingfrom a right leg to a left leg of the pair of legs. An absorptive pad iscoupled to the garment body. The absorptive pad is coupled to the innersurface on the back side. A zipper is coupled to the garment body. Thezipper has a chain coupled along the access aperture and a sliderengaged with the chain to selectively close or open the access aperture.A hook is coupled to the slider of the zipper.

An alternative embodiment of the disclosure generally comprises agarment body having a waistband, a front side, a back side, an innersurface, an outer surface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pair oflegs. The garment body has an access aperture extending through thecrotch portion. An absorptive pad is coupled to the garment body. Theabsorptive pad is coupled to the inner surface on the back side. A flapis coupled to the garment body. The flap selectively covers or exposingthe access aperture. The flap has a plurality of first engagementmembers. A plurality of second engagement members is coupled to thegarment body adjacent the access aperture and is selectively engageablewith the plurality of first engagement members to secure the flap in aclosed position. At least one pull tab is coupled to the flap. The pulltabs are coupled to the flap proximal a flap top edge to allow the userto disengage the plurality of first engagement members and the pluralityof second engagement members to move the flap to an open position.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an accessibility garment apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through10 thereof, a new accessibility device embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10, the accessibility garmentapparatus 10 generally comprises a garment body 12 having a waistband14, a front side 16, a back side 18, an inner surface 20, an outersurface 22, a crotch portion 24, an inseam 26, and a pair of legs 28.The inseam 26 has an access aperture 30 extending from a right leg 32 toa left leg 34 of the pair of legs. The garment body 12 may be a pair ofshorts or pants such as, but not limited to jeans, dress pants, slacks,sweatpants, or the like.

An absorptive pad 36 is coupled to the garment body 12. The absorptivepad 36 is coupled to the inner surface 20 on the back side 18. Theabsorptive pad 36 may extend from adjacent the waistband 14 to adjacentthe access aperture 30 to serve as a secondary diaper or sanitary pad incase of leakage.

A zipper 38 is coupled to the garment body 12. The zipper 38 has a chain40 coupled along the access aperture 30 and a slider 42 engaged with thechain 40 to selectively close or open the access aperture 30. A hook 44is coupled to the zipper 38. The hook 44 is coupled to the slider 42 andmay be J-shaped and larger than a standard zipper pull to make it easierfor someone to manipulate.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention 50 shown in FIGS. 6-10,the garment body 12 has the access aperture 30 extending through thecrotch portion 24. The access aperture 30 may extend from the inseam 26to adjacent the waistband 14. The garment body 12 may be an undergarmentsuch as, but not limited to, briefs, boxers, women's underwire, and thelike. A flap 52 is coupled to the garment body 12 adjacent the inseam26. The flap 52 selectively covers or exposes the access aperture 30.The flap 52 has a plurality of first engagement members 54. Theplurality of first engagement members 54 may be a pair of firstengagement members 54 coupled adjacent a flap top edge 56 and adjacent apair of flap outer edges 58.

A plurality of second engagement members 60 is coupled to the garmentbody 12 adjacent the access aperture 30 and is selectively engageablewith the plurality of first engagement members 54 to secure the flap 52in a closed position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. The pair of secondengagement members 60 may be a pair of second engagement members 60coupled adjacent the access aperture 30 and proximal the waistband 14.Each of the plurality of first engagement members 54 and the pluralityof second engagement members 60 may be, but is not limited to, aselectively engageable fastener such as hook-and-loop, snaps, and thelike.

At least one pull tab 62 is coupled to the flap 52. The at least onepull tab 62 may be a pair of rings 64. The pull tabs 62 are coupled tothe flap 52 proximal the flap top edge 56 to allow the user to disengagethe plurality of first engagement members 54 and the plurality of secondengagement members 60 to move the flap 52 to an open position shown inFIG. 7.

In use, the garment body 12 is worn like a traditional garment. The userthen pulls on either the hook 44 or the pull tab 62 to expose the accessaperture 30 as needed.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. An accessibility garment apparatus comprising: a garmentbody, the garment body having a waistband, a front side, a back side, aninner surface, an outer surface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pairof legs, the inseam having an access aperture extending from a right legto a left leg of the pair of legs; an absorptive pad coupled to thegarment body, the absorptive pad being coupled to the inner surface onthe back side; a zipper coupled to the garment body, the zipper having achain coupled along the access aperture and a slider engaged with thechain to selectively close or open the access aperture; and a hookcoupled to the zipper, the hook being coupled to the slider.
 2. Theaccessibility garment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising theabsorptive pad extending from adjacent the waistband to adjacent theaccess aperture.
 3. The accessibility garment apparatus of claim 1further comprising the hook being J-shaped.
 4. The accessibility garmentapparatus of claim 3 further comprising the hook being larger than astandard zipper pull.
 5. The accessibility garment apparatus of claim 1further comprising the garment body being a pair of pants such as, butnot limited to jeans, dress pants, slacks, sweatpants, or the like. 6.The accessibility garment apparatus of claim 1 further comprising thegarment body being a pair of shorts.
 7. An accessibility garmentapparatus comprising: a garment body, the garment body having awaistband, a front side, a back side, an inner surface, an outersurface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pair of legs, the inseamhaving an access aperture extending from a right leg to a left leg ofthe pair of legs, the garment body being a pair of shorts or pants suchas, but not limited to jeans, dress pants, slacks, sweatpants, or thelike; an absorptive pad coupled to the garment body, the absorptive padbeing coupled to the inner surface on the back side, the absorptive padextending from adjacent the waistband to adjacent the access aperture; azipper coupled to the garment body, the zipper having a chain coupledalong the access aperture and a slider engaged with the chain toselectively close or open the access aperture; and a hook coupled to thezipper, the hook being coupled to the slider, the hook being J-shapedand larger than a standard zipper pull.
 8. An accessibility garmentapparatus comprising: a garment body, the garment body having awaistband, a front side, a back side, an inner surface, an outersurface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pair of legs, the garmentbody having an access aperture extending through the crotch portion; anabsorptive pad coupled to the garment body, the absorptive pad beingcoupled to the inner surface on the back side; a flap coupled to thegarment body, the flap selectively covering or exposing the accessaperture, the flap having a plurality of first engagement members; aplurality of second engagement members coupled to the garment body, theplurality of second engagement members being coupled to the garment bodyadjacent the access aperture and being selectively engageable with theplurality of first engagement members to secure the flap in a closedposition; and at least one pull tab coupled to the flap, the pull tabsbeing coupled to the flap proximal a flap top edge to allow the user todisengage the plurality of first engagement members and the plurality ofsecond engagement members to move the flap to an open position.
 9. Theaccessibility garment apparatus of claim 8 further comprising the accessaperture extending from the inseam to adjacent the waistband.
 10. Theaccessibility garment apparatus of claim 8 further comprising the flapbeing coupled to the garment body adjacent the inseam.
 11. Theaccessibility garment apparatus of claim 8 further comprising theplurality of first engagement members being a pair of first engagementmembers coupled adjacent the flap top edge and adjacent a pair of flapouter edges; the pair of second engagement members being a pair ofsecond engagement members coupled adjacent the access aperture andproximal the waistband.
 12. The accessibility garment apparatus of claim8 further comprising the at least one pull tab being a pair of rings.13. The accessibility garment apparatus of claim 8 further comprisingthe garment body being an undergarment such as, but not limited to,briefs, boxers, women's underwire, and the like.